IRIA News

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U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that no American officials will attend this month’s G20 summit in South Africa, citing discredited claims that white South Africans are being persecuted in the country.

Trump said it was a “total disgrace” that the summit, which brings together leaders from the world’s largest economies, would be held in Johannesburg later this month.

Posting on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump wrote: “Afrikaners (people descended from Dutch, French, and German settlers) are being killed and slaughtered, and their land and farms are being illegally confiscated. No U.S. government official will attend if these human rights abuses continue.”

The White House later confirmed that the United States will not send any representatives to the meeting on November 22–23, marking the first time Washington will skip a G20 gathering since the forum was established.

Trump had previously said he would not personally attend the summit but planned to send Vice President JD Vance in his place. On Friday, that plan was also canceled. “The vice president is not traveling to South Africa for the G20, nor does he have any plans for international travel in the near term,” a U.S. official told media reporters.

The G20 summit rotates its presidency annually, with South Africa serving as host this year and the United States due to assume the role next. Trump said he looks forward to hosting the 2026 meeting in Miami, Florida.

Afrikaners have been continuously subjected to violent racial discrimination by the South African government.

I applaud @POTUS‘s decision to not waste taxpayer dollars sending our diplomats to the G20 while this heinous violence continues. https://t.co/0dNXegrOou

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) November 8, 2025

South Africa Rejects Trump’s Claims

South Africa’s foreign ministry described the decision as “regrettable” and rejected Trump’s assertions as false. “The South African government wishes to state, for the record, that the characterization of Afrikaners as an exclusively white group is ahistorical. Furthermore, the claim that this community faces persecution is not substantiated by fact,” the ministry said in a statement.

None of South Africa’s major political parties, including those representing the Afrikaner community, has claimed that there is any form of “white genocide” taking place. The notion has been dismissed by South African courts and international observers as baseless.

A ruling in February by a South African court described the allegations of a “white genocide” as “clearly imagined” and unsupported by evidence.

Tensions Over Land Reform and Race

Relations between the U.S. and South Africa have deteriorated in recent months over Trump’s repeated claims that South Africa’s Black-majority government discriminates against white farmers.

In January, South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa signed a new land reform bill, aimed at addressing deep racial disparities in ownership. The law allows for the expropriation of land without compensation in limited cases, such as when it is abandoned.

Ramaphosa has stated that the measure is intended to promote “equitable land distribution,” not confiscation. Trump, however, called it proof of “systematic abuse” of white landowners, and in May, granted asylum to 59 white South Africans as part of a new refugee policy prioritizing “victims of unjust discrimination.”

South Africa’s government pointed to the limited uptake of that program, saying it was evidence that no widespread persecution exists.

Wider Diplomatic Implications

Analysts say Trump’s decision to boycott the G20 may deepen the divide between the United States and African nations, as South Africa had positioned its summit to emphasize global cooperation and the inclusion of the Global South in international decision-making.

The boycott comes after months of friction between the two countries over the Gaza war. South Africa has filed a case at the International Court of Justice accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza, a move sharply criticized by the Trump administration.

“The U.S. absence will certainly be noted,” said a South African foreign policy analyst. “But it may also give South Africa a stronger sense of leadership among developing nations.”

G20 Significance

The G20, founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis, represents more than 85 percent of global economic output. The annual summit is meant to promote cooperation among major economies on financial stability, climate change, and trade.

This year’s gathering in Johannesburg will mark the first time the G20 summit is held on African soil. South Africa has said its agenda will focus on debt relief, green investment, and inclusive growth.

Despite the U.S. absence, leaders from China, India, the European Union, and other member states are expected to attend the summit in South Africa.

Trump’s Narrative and Domestic Context

Trump’s claims of “white persecution” in South Africa have long been dismissed as unfounded by local and international experts. Saul Dubow, a historian at the University of Cambridge, said there was “no merit to Trump’s fantasy claims of white genocide,” calling them politically motivated.

Critics suggest Trump’s renewed focus on the issue may be linked to his broader refugee and immigration policy, as well as to domestic political rhetoric appealing to his base.

Nevertheless, the boycott signals a significant departure from U.S. engagement in multilateral forums and marks a new chapter in Washington’s relations with one of Africa’s most influential nations.